In November a telemarketer representing Charter Communications called us. We were told that for $1.00 a month for 3 months added to our existing charge we could experience digital cable with HBO, Showtime and Starz thrown in for free plus free installation.
I was very skeptical about the offer and asked the lady many questions including if there were any hidden charges. She said no, just $1.00 per month for 3 months and if at the end of that time I chose not to subscribe to digital that the subscription would automatically stop and the box would be picked up. I asked if things would be returned the way they were if I chose not to go to digital and she said yes. Things would go back exactly as they were. So, since I trusted Charter Communications, I said OK I will try it.
On leaving the installer gave me a piece of paper in fine print with the total due on the next billing of $183.00.in shock I called Charter to correct the problem. This is not what I had agreed to on the phone. The representative told me:
Because I agreed to try digital I voided my existing contract, which was grandfathered at $80.01. They did not have that rate anymore so I would go onto a new contract.
My new contract would be at a much higher rate.
My new billing date changed because of the added digital.
If I quit the digital I would have to unhook the unit myself and return it to the office or face a $21.00 service call.
They had no control or responsibility over what the telemarketer told me and had no way of finding that particular person since there was no way to check.
All the above I was not made aware of when I accepted the offer for the digital.
I do not being lied to or deceived by a company.in my opinion the telemarketer was working for Charter Communications and therefore Charter should be held responsible for any wrong doings. My account was at $80.01 in December and in January it would have been the same if I had not accepted this fraudulent offer. I only asked for the account to return to its original status and was told it could not. I feel that this offer was done intentionally to get people off the lesser rates and onto a more profitable for Charter Communication rate.
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